#yolandian

The week before Yolanda took lives from the pearl of the
orient, social networking sites were as crazy as ever. Though it’s not really a
new thing but every status, every tweet, every blog, and every post were all
love, unicorns and rainbows. So many love struck people everywhere, especially
in high school because really, during this time of our lives, it’s all about
love, sex and romance. Okay, maybe I got overboard with sex but you get the
point.

There was one girl who met a boy online on this same time.
They knew each other outside facebook and somehow, personally too but haven’t
really had the time to talk in person. That someone you know but only by their
face, smiles at you but you don’t really call a friend? Yes, that’s what they
are. They just started talking or chatting on facebook that week before
thousands of lives ware taken. They were flirting and very happy too. Posting
sweet pick up lines and tagging each other.

The day before Yolanda took lives from the pearl of the
orient, social networking sites were as crazy as always. People knew that the
strongest typhoon ever is about to hit our country but some continues on
ranting and saying that maybe, PAGASA is once again wrong. Statuses and tweets
that says “keep safe everyone” is the number one thing that’s on our newsfeed
and home. Some even says “Ulan lang yan, Pilipino tayo” though at one point
they’re right, we should have been very cautious with the given warning and
while half of the Filipino cared, some were still overwhelmed with the fact
that classes were suspended. The all-time-happy-high-school-students were still
posting about love quotations and somehow assuming to find someone to love
during the rainy days.

The two lovebirds finally came up with an idea to meet each
other personally and have a date. Unaware of the big storm that was about to
destroy their much awaited meet up. They planned the things they wanted to do
like, to watch a movie, eat some ice cream, cuddle on their sofa and just plain
stare at each other’s eyes the whole time – just a common first date they knew
they wouldn’t forget. He promised to pick her up. They couldn’t sleep that
night because of too much excitement of their hearts to feel each other’s
embrace, flesh to flesh. If only they were warned by the biggest hindrance of
their love – mother nature.

The day Yolanda took
lives from the pearl of the orient, social networking sites were crazier and
more active than ever was. People were panicking and shouting through all caps
statuses and tweets. As if everyone cared and was really praying just like what
they want their facebook friends and twitter followers to think but in reality,
what are they really doing? Sitting in front of their computers, helpless and
continues on flirting with someone they just met online. This was the day #Yolandian
was on trend. Televisions and radios were all talking about the same thing.
Yolanda finally reached the Philippines’ area of responsibility. The eye of the
storm hit tacloban, people from there was scared to death while blessed people
from manila sat in front of the TV as they watched the reports of the
journalists until the signal was off.

They were awaken by the loud sound of the falling rain and
the loud hum of the wind. They kept a straight face and stayed quiet for a
minute or two. What to do? They looked at the window and there it was – the
thick drops of rains that made the surroundings impossible to see through it.
After half an hour of staring at nothingness, the sound of the fallen tree from
a far somehow confirmed about their cancelled date. She was devastated. He was
determined.

The day after Yolanda took lives from the pearl of the
orient, social networking sites were loud and ear-splitting through their super
long statuses about their sympathies on Yolanda victims with the undying all caps
“KAYA NATIN ‘TO PILIPINAS” and the trending “#prayforthephilippines” on twitter
that gained the world’s attention. People that was born in Visayas that was
part where the storm hit, looked for their relatives on facebook and twitter –
hoping someone will contact them and tell them they were alright. Some received
the confirmation they wanted but sadly, some received verification of the death
of their loved ones. Newspapers, Television news, Radio news, online news, they
all talked about the same topic – same calamity. All you can see was how ruined
Philippines were, how tragic their lives became after Yolanda happened.

The girl cried as she sat on their sofa, turned on their
television and saw what is really happening. What she really needs to know and
what is the real thing to be devastated about. She watched the news as the
guilt in her heart grew for being so selfish and insensitive. The cancelled
date was nothing compared to the thousands of lives taken. She heard people
shouting outside their house and her heart was beating so fast but didn’t know
why. She went to the crowd of people, circling something beside a fallen tree.
She got closer and then she saw him – lying, with his legs under the big tree,
dead.

“Bakit?” he
questioned. “Kasi the moment you
left my area of responsibility, you left my heart in a state of calamity.”